BOSTON — For the second time in the last 10 days, the Celtics have made a trade , this time with a pretty clear mission in mind — to pave the way for the return of point guard Rajon Rondo.

There still is no official confirmation of when Rondo will be back on the floor after coming back from an ACL injury suffered last January, but indications continue to point to a return on Friday against the Lakers . On Wednesday, Boston sent Rondo on a two-hour assignment to Maine’s Red Claws in the D-League, where he participated in a workout before returning to Boston.

Before that, the Celtics sent guard Jordan Crawford, who had started 35 of the team’s 39 games, to Golden State as part of a three-team deal in which Toney Douglas went to Miami and Boston got shot-blocking center Joel Anthony.

Earlier in the month the Celtics traded away shooting guard Courtney Lee, sending him to Memphis for guard Jerryd Bayless, who is capable of backing up at point guard. Bayless scored 17 points in the Celtics’ last game, Monday against Houston.

“Obviously, bringing in Jerryd, we added another ballhandler, which is a positive,” coach Brad Stevens said. “And we’re adding another ballhandler in Rondo. Being able to add a person who can protect the rim and the paint, that is one area we haven’t been as strong defensively, but at the same time, there is a lot of positive things in the future with those picks that are involved.”

The Celtics also got Miami’s rights to Philadelphia’s draft pick in the next two years. The pick is lottery-protected for the next two years, and becomes second-rounders in 2015 and ’16 if the Sixers fail to make the playoffs the next two seasons, which is likely. Boston now has amassed as many as 15 draft picks over the next five years.

As for Rondo, Stevens reported that the workout in Maine went well, but that no one should be expecting Rondo to perform miracles — Boston went into Wednesday’s game losers of nine straight.

“I got asked the other day if and when he comes back, whether he will be on a minutes restriction, and the answer is yes,” Stevens said. “We will cross those bridges with exact numbers when we get there and go from there. But he looked pretty good.”

Stevens said he is still not sure how the minutes will break down for the Celtics.

“Not as crystal an idea as I would have in the next 48 hours, when I am able to figure out how people will best work together and figure out substitution patterns,” he said. “If Rondo is able to play anytime soon, whether it be Friday or beyond, then that obviously gives you more depth in the backcourt.”